The cottonwood leafcurl mite, Aculops lobuliferus, is a little known pest of plantation Populus capable of substantial economic damage. This is the first reported occurrence of A. lobulferus in South Carolina, USA. Previous anecdotal data indicated clonal variations in Populus susceptibility to A. lobuliferus damage. I monitored mite-induced foliar damage and terminal mortality on two Populus deltoides clones. These clones were part of a larger study; treatments were irrigated, fertilized, irrigated + fertilized, or control. The clones in this study differed significantly in their susceptibility to foliar damage but not terminal mortality. Fertigation treatment did not have a significant effect on foliar mite damage. However, trees that were irrigated + fertilized had significantly higher terminal mortality than those that received the irrigated, fertilized, or control treatments. Miticide applied according to label rates significantly reduced A. lobuliferus populations. This study indicates the damage potential A. lobuliferus has on plantation Populus as well as effective control methods. While the most effective control method is to select and plant Populus clones resistant to A. lobuliferus, chemical control remains a viable option.
Species 1: Acari Eriophyidae Aculops lobuliferus (cottonwood leafcurl mite, cottonwood rust mite)
Keywords: Populus deltoides, defoliation
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA